Family: Campanulaceae
Synonyms: Campanula macrantha, Campanula  uralensis, Campanula  grandiflora, Drymocodon latifolium, Trachelioides latifolia, Campanula  eriocarpa,
Common name:  Giant Bellflower, Large Mean , Large-leaved Bellflower, Wide-leaved Bellflower.
Local name: Mean (मीन )

Meen is an erect, clump-forming herbaceous perennial plant found growing in high hills of Western Himalayas. Being a striking, foliage-rich plant, Mean carries stately spikes of large, pendulous, bell-shaped blossoms in a rich blue-purple shade. It is a hardy perennial that thrives in cool temperate climates. It usually prefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils and grows best in partial shade to full shade, though it can tolerate some sun in cooler regions. Its plants occasionally found in moist, shady, and cool habitats like forest margins, riverbanks, stream sides, and moist hill slopes. In India Himachal Pradesh, it thrives in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, forest margins, clearings, damp valleys and shrubberies between an altitude of 2400-3600 m. In natural habitat it is easily propagated through seeds, however it can be easily propagated through root division, basal cuttings, or root cuttings depending on whether rapid multiplication or true-to-type plants are desired. Propagation is usually done by seed sown in spring or early summer, or by division of clumps in autumn or spring. Seeds need light for germination and should not be deeply covered ¹. Once established, the species is relatively low-maintenance, though it benefits from mulching to retain soil moisture. It is resistant to cold and can survive harsh Himalayan winters under snow cover. For ornamental use, it is often cultivated in woodland gardens, shaded borders, and naturalized landscapes ².

Meen is edible, with young leaves eaten as salad or cooked greens, roots consumed raw or cooked, and flowers used as garnish. Traditionally, its roots and leaves were valued in folk medicine for soothing coughs, sore throats, and minor skin ailments. It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. Sometime it is also grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Mean Plant:  

Erect, perennial herbs. Roots fibrous.  

Stem robust, glabrous, leafy, branched, 0.6-2 m tall.

Stem leaves mostly sessile, 5-12 cm long, ovate or broadly lanceolate with rounded base, margins toothed, hairy, leaves becoming progressively smaller above, lower leaves stalked. 

Flowers dark blue-purple, short-stalked, racemed. Calyx-lobes narrow lanceolate, much shorter than corolla. Corolla bell-shaped, 4-5 cm long; lobes triangular-lanceolate. 

Capsules globose, 3 valved from the base.

The plant begins to appear in early summer, flowering and fruiting from the rainy season to autumn. Young leaves are best harvested during the rainy season, while flowers are ideal for collection in early autumn. Flowers should be harvested sustainably, either by rotating collection sites or leaving some on the parent plant.

Edible Uses:

Meen young leaves are traditionally consumed raw or cooked as salad greens or pot herbs. Leaves are highly valued for their mild flavor and nutritional content, root, eaten raw or boiled much like parsnips ³, flowers are occasionally used fresh as garnishes, offering aesthetic appeal and a mild, sweet taste.

Meen Leaf Salad

Ingredients: Fresh Meen leaves (1 cup), cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper.

Method: Wash and chop the leaves, mix with cucumber and tomato, drizzle with lemon and olive oil, season, and serve fresh.

Mean Leaf Soup

Ingredients: Chopped Meen leaves (1 cup), onion, garlic, lentils (½ cup), salt, spices.

Method: Boil lentils until soft, sauté onion and garlic, add Meen leaves, cook briefly, then mix with lentils and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meen Leaf Paratha 

Ingredients: Wheat flour (2 cups), chopped Mean leaves (1 cup), cumin seeds (½ tsp), salt, water, ghee.
Method: Mix flour, leaves, cumin, and salt with water into soft dough. Roll into parathas, cook on a hot tawa with ghee until golden on both sides. Serve with curd or pickle.

Flower Garnish

Fresh Mean flowers can be sprinkled on salads, desserts, or drinks as a mild, sweet, and colorful garnish

Seek professional advice before treating this plant medicinally.

Medicinal use:

Mean has shown notable medicinal potential. Studies report that its extracts possess antioxidant properties due to phenolics and flavonoids, helping protect against oxidative stress⁴. Bioactive fractions inhibit acetylcholinesterase,suggesting neuroprotective and anti-Alzheimer’s potential, as well as tyrosinase and α-glucosidase, indicating possible use in skin care and diabetes management ³. Traditionally, leaf and flower preparations have been used for oralinflammations, sore throats, and wound healing, supporting its anti-inflammatory and astringent uses.

Nutritional value:

Mean is nutritionally rich, with 7.92 g ash, 12.90 g protein, 2.46 g fat, 64.19 g carbohydrates, 15.65 g crude fiber, and an energy value of approximately 330.5 kcal per 100 g. It contains essential minerals including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, and copper. Phytochemically, the plant comprises 0.06–0.15% catechins, 0.31–3.17% flavonols, 3.31–6.47% tannins, 3.10–15.57% pectic substances, 0.66–16.4 mg% carotenoids, and 36.9–114.0 mg% ascorbic acid, making it valuable for both nutritional and medicinal purposes ^5,6.

Other uses:

Meen is occasionally foraged by grazing animals in forests and meadows. Its showy, bell-shaped flowers are highly attractive to pollinators—especially bees—supporting biodiversity and contributing to naturalistic, wildlife-friendly gardens in hilly regions. The plant is well-suited for ecological restoration in temperate woodlands.

In addition to its ecological value, Meen can be cultivated as an edible ornamental plant. Its striking floral display in mid-summer makes it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, north-facing borders, and for underplanting roses, thanks to its tolerance of partial to full shade.

Reference:

1. Seglie, L., Scariot, V., Larcher, F., Devecchi, M., & Chiavazza, P. M. (2012). In vitro seed germination and seedling propagation in Campanula spp. Plant Biosystems-An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 146(1), 15-23.
2. Brickell, C. (Ed.). (2019). The Royal Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Dorling Kindersley, London. cultivation practices, ornamental value, and shade/moisture preferences.
3. Fomina T., Kukushkina T. (2021). Flowers of Campanula species as a source of biologically active substances.BIO Web of Conferences, 38, 00033.
4. Moosavi SR, Sadati Z, et al. (2018). Campanula latifolia, Giant Bellflower: Ethno-Botany, Phytochemical and Antioxidant Evaluation. Traditional & Integrative Medicine.
5. Korkmaz B, Fandaklı S, Barut B, et al. (2020). Volatile and Phenolic Components and Antioxidant, Acetylcholinesterase, Tyrosinase, α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Effects of Extracts Obtained From Campanula latifolia L. subsp. latifolia. Journal of Essential Oil-Bearing Plants, 23(5), 1118–1131.
6. Brandt K., Kondo T., Aoki H., Goto T. (1993). Structure and biosynthesis of anthocyanins in Campanulaflowers. Phytochemistry, 33(1): 209–212.